Galactic Energy · China · First flight 2020
China's leading commercial small launch vehicle from Galactic Energy. One of the first privately developed Chinese rockets to reach orbit. Provides cost-effective dedicated small-sat access to SSO.
From SpaceNexus's launch tracker (tracked since Jan 20, 2025); outcomes recorded as each flight lands. Career totals above are the vehicle's full history.
| Height | 20 m |
| Diameter | 1.4 m |
| Liftoff mass | 33,000 kg |
| Stages | 4 |
| Engines | 4x solid stages + liquid kick stage |
| Propellant | Solid (HTPB) + Liquid kick |
| Fairing diameter | 1.4 m |
| Payload to LEO | 400 kg |
| Payload to GTO | — |
| Payload to SSO | 230 kg |
| Payload to TLI | — |
| Reusable | No |
| First flight | 2020-11-07 |
| Last flight | Active |
| Variants seen on the manifest | Ceres-1 |
A dedicated Ceres-1 launch lists at roughly $5 million, about $12,500 per kilogram to low Earth orbit at full payload. Actual contract prices vary with orbit, integration and government requirements.
No Ceres-1 launch is currently on the tracked manifest.
Ceres-1 has flown 23 times with 21 successes, 2 failures and 0 partial failures — a 91.3% success rate, with 2 consecutive successes at last count.
400 kg to low Earth orbit, 230 kg to sun-synchronous orbit.